Useful Gemstone Inclusions: Why Do They Matter and How to Identify Them?
Want to get a complete guide about gemstone inclusions? If you have a stone in your hand, its sparkling depth and beauty are enchanting. If you put one under magnification, you will get a new dimension of awe as inner minerals, inclusions, and crevices dance to life. The gemstone inclusions are the way that nature reveals that beauty is mostly hidden. However, what are gemstone inclusions exactly?
Gemstone inclusions are usually crystal, liquid, or gas fractures or particles inside the gemstone. But how do they reach there? The small minerals keep growing inside the gem with time. Let me explain:
Suppose you are at a place that is home to an excess of diamonds. I am talking miles upon miles of sparkling diamonds in one area. Let’s imagine that location is in West Africa.
Here you are in the center of a plethora of diamonds, and you notice something else flourishing: like palm bushes. They are Pandanus candelabrum, and they exist in those areas where diamonds abound.
So, here my question is, what links diamonds to this plant? Let’s try to find out!
All About Gemstone Inclusions
The plant of Pandanus candelabrum grows in soil containing high levels of an igneous rock that helps to develop diamonds, kimberlite.
At a point, the diamond starts forming in the soil underneath these plants of Pandanus candelabrum. But how? The palm leaves pieces fall off from the central stalk and start embedding in the ground.
When diamonds grow, the traces of these palm leaves get trapped within the material. As the precious diamonds take shape and mold, speckles of these leaves are apparent. So, where can we conclude from this?
Fundamentally, the Pandanus candelabrum particles are the inclusions, while the diamonds are the gemstones.
The concept of gemstone inclusions is not tricky. Yet, the more you come to know about gemstone inclusions, the more complicated things can get, and there will be more questions arise in your mind like:
- What is the importance of gemstone inclusions?
- How will you know what material a gemstone inclusion is?
The solutions to these queries are also present here. Just keep reading!
Why are Gemstone Inclusions Important?
Of course! The gemstone inclusions are attractive, but they play a vital role: showing where the gemstone originated – like the example above – and essential info about different types of gems present.
For valuing a gemstone, inclusions are among the decisive factors. The valuation of a gem calculates the gemstone’s value. But how? Gemologists work on different factors such as weight, cut, clarity, and much more. Let us talk about valuation first.
Valuing Gemstones with Inclusions
A particular part of gem valuation will vary on how you can see through a gemstone under bright light. Some inclusions cannot lower the gem value while others can. Do you know why? Because inclusions can break or make the value of a gemstone. Usually, the inclusions increase the value of gemstones like sapphires. It is because the inclusions of sapphire make the gemstone unique. The opposite is right with the relatively rare gems, and due to this, they are less valuable.
Other Factors Influencing the Value of Gemstone
Let’s come back to the diamonds, which are among the common gems around the globe. Although most of the diamonds have a costly price, there is no lack of affordable diamonds. Do you know what makes the difference?
The emerald cut diamonds with gemstone inclusions can have the least value than a brilliant round diamond. These emerald cut diamonds are budget-friendly, while brilliant round diamonds and heart-shaped cuts are high-end. It eventually means that the cut of a diamond will show its value, among other factors.
If a gem is less costly to start with, the gemstone inclusions can cause the gemstone value to drop. In comparison, the expensive gemstones can be pricier if it contains inclusions that add to the gem’s beauty and novelty.
Thus, how to figure out what the specific cut of a gemstone is? And how to identify if a gemstone inclusion lowers the value or increases it?
How to Figure Out Gemstone Inclusions?
The great news is that there is no need to be a gemstone expert to figure out the cuts. All you require is the least magnification, and you are ready to go!
Through a magnifying lens, you can check details that the normal eye cannot see. You can tap into the enchanting world of gemstone inclusions. Let us talk about some tips for differentiating gemstone inclusions:
- With a dark-field microscopic lens, lighting enables you to see even the most minuscule and slightest gemstone inclusions.
- The microscope can help you uncover the cut of a specific gemstone; however, the beneficial aspect of using the microscope is that you can completely grasp the size of a gemstone inclusion.
- When you get an idea of the space the inclusion takes, you can regulate a gemstone’s value.
- The best tip while evaluating a gem is to take enough time. Even highly professional researchers make errors; thus, it is normal to miscalculate the inclusion size.
- Think about a gemstone: Do they have a non-crystalline structure or a crystal structure? The crystal inclusions can help to categorize that a gem is a garnet. Still, if there are some bubbles in the inclusion, you can discern that this gem is not real.
From these points, you can analyze that the gemstone inclusions are beneficial for valuing the gemstones. The info investigators get from the gemstone inclusions figure out the unique story of every stone. By looking at the inclusion, you can gather what the gems have experienced and where it came from.
The gemstone inclusions are enthralling to look at at the most basic level, but they also show the gemstones’ history, which is highly invaluable. Visit our website for more content.